Breathe Again
by TheLestrangeMistress
Summary: When the reality of Adrian being dead finally settled in, Daphne could stop being afraid. She could finally breathe again and not have to fear for her life. Warnings for domestic/psychological abuse.


**A/N: This is for Assignment #7 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, A Study of Magical Healing. The task was to w** **rite about a person who finds a way to breathe again. You may take this literally or metaphorically. WARNING: domestic/psychological abuse. It's 733 words.**

Daphne Greengrass was sat at her vanity table in the bedroom she had shared with her late husband trembling as she took off her wedding and engagement rings. They had long been a noose around her neck and now she was free to breathe again.

Looking in the mirror, she could see herself clearer than she had in years. Her long blonde hair that used to be shiny and hung in waves was now dull and limp. It was more than just an appearance, it was what she had become; a shadow of her former self.

She had become reacquainted with her husband, Adrian Pucey, five years ago at her sister's engagement party. He had been charming and Daphne soon found herself smitten.

 _I was a fool,_ she thought.

It was easy now to see through his facade, but Daphne had been blind to his faults back then. Adrian Pucey had controlled her through fear and manipulation. At first he had been subtle by saying how he didn't like how revealing her clothes were, or that she had so many male friends. Daphne had seen his point on the clothes, but had argued about her male friends as most of them were either engaged or married. It was the first time she had seen his mask slip, and she had told herself that it would never happen again. How wrong she was.

" _I thought I told you what would happen if you were ever alone with another man," he said coldly._

" _Adrian, please. I was having lunch with Draco. He wanted to talk to me about proposing to Astoria. I won't do it again, I promise," she pleaded._

" _You better not do it again. I don't want my future wife looking like a whore."_

Over the years he controlled her even more and it got to the point where Daphne felt she wouldn't be able to breathe without him telling her to stop. Her family and friends noticed even if she didn't say anything. They had tried to help her, but none of them understood how hard it was to leave him.

" _Daphne, you have to leave him. He's changing you, making you into someone you're not. I love you, but I can't see you go through this," Astoria said tearfully._

" _You don't understand, Astoria. He will kill me if I try to leave. I might be better off trying to kill myself than leave him. At least I know it wouldn't be painful," Daphne told her._

" _Don't say things like that! You deserve to live, and you deserve happiness. It's all we want for you," Astoria cried._

" _Then be happy when I'm free of him. I don't know how it will happen, but one day I will be free," she said taking her sister's hand._

The rope around her throat had gotten even tighter in those last few months and had started to choke her. Adrian had forbidden her from seeing Astoria. Apparently he had heard about their conversation and was determined that Astoria shouldn't put ideas into her head.

One day things came to a head when he found a letter from Astoria in her jewellery box.

" _I thought I told you I didn't want you talking to Astoria again," Adrian said as he burst through the door of their drawing room._

 _He looked completely furious at the thought that she had disobeyed him._

" _Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"_

" _I haven't written back, or seen her since you told me not to," Daphne replied quietly._

" _Liar! You really think I don't know that you're trying to leave me?" he sneered. "It's never going to happen. I will never let you go."_

 _The next few moments happened so quickly that all Daphne could remember was him falling to the ground with a letter opener in his chest._

The moment she had realised that he was dead, Daphne had panicked and ran to the floo calling her parents. The next few days were a blur of interviews and funeral arrangements.

Only three days later the law enforcement officers who investigated had ruled self defence due to sufficient evidence of abuse. It was like a weight had been lifted off of her.

When the reality of Adrian being dead finally settled in, Daphne could stop being afraid. She could finally breathe again and not have to fear for her life.


End file.
